as in sweetheart
a person with whom one is in love
decided to look up an old flame while she was in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light
the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flame
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
The blast at Horizon Biofuels, which was captured on nearby security cameras, showed the brick building bursting into flames.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
Someone cut a hole in the canvas top and dumped a Molotov cocktail into its soon flaming red interior.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Noun
Thank God — or rather, thank the holy trinity of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker — for Nielsen’s reinvention as keeper of the big-screen, charismatic-idiot flame.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2025
The blast at Horizon Biofuels, which was captured on nearby security cameras, showed the brick building bursting into flames.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
Verb
Take the flaming Baller Colada (served in a pineapple) from a menu that unfolds like an amusement park map.
—AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
Someone cut a hole in the canvas top and dumped a Molotov cocktail into its soon flaming red interior.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flame
Noun
-
My daughter has been married to her high school sweetheart for 15 years.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
25 July 2025
-
Dear Abby: My daughter has been married to her high school sweetheart for 15 years.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
Head away from city lights around this time to hunt the glowing band of the Milky Way's core, which can be spotted during the summer months streaming towards the eastern horizon as dusk gives way to night in dark sky locations.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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The spectacle produces about three meteors per hour; look for its shooting stars near the Eridanus constellation, which hangs low in the southeast sky August’s full sturgeon moon will glow in the southeast skies on Aug. 9, with Saturn nearby to the east.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Clashes erupted elsewhere in the city over the federal government’s drive to promote Hindi – a language closely tied to the BJP’s northern power base and often seen as central to the party’s vision of national unity and Hindu identity.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
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The stadium continued to erupt with cheers as Beyoncé stood in awe, moved by the energy and love surrounding her.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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In its place, Pacers Sports and Entertainment is building a gleaming new $78 million performance facility for the Indiana Fever.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
29 July 2025
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Its modern aesthetic borders on too plain, though its gleaming aluminum finish exudes a premium feel and impressive strength.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Some investors are hoping that Apple will acquire AI darling Perplexity, a fast-growing AI search startup seen as a potential springboard to overhaul Siri and close Apple’s AI gap with rivals like Google and Microsoft.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
1 Aug. 2025
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Starring two of Netflix's darlings — The Life List's Sofia Carson and Queen Charlotte's Corey Mylchreest — My Oxford Year brings Anna de la Vega and Jamie Davenport's love story from the 2018 book of the same name to life.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Moore’s mother worked several jobs, family members chipped in, and an entire community rallied to blaze an impossible path for the governor, culminating in his swearing-in as Maryland’s 63rd governor, with the prestigious distinction of being Maryland’s first Black governor.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
28 July 2025
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The Patriots throttled down with a pre-planned walkthrough Friday, where players took the field for 75 minutes under a blazing sun and jogged through a variety of drills over their third training camp practice.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
Verb
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The controversy exploded when Randi (@Randipandy_) posted a now-viral video from her car, blasting parents who refuse to buy even basic items for the classroom.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
31 July 2025
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The team’s high valuation shows how strong a demand there is to invest in Formula 1, which saw its popularity explode in the U.S. thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive series—and surely Brad Pitt and Damson Idris’s F1 flick helped out with that, too.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flame. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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